How to Pray for Urban Ministries

TEAM - The Evangelical Alliance Mission suzanne.pearson • Jan 03, 2021

The last year has ravaged the world’s cities. COVID-19 regulations shut down businesses — many to never recover. Low-income workers struggled to find work, and many went without food for days at a time.

Meanwhile, wealthier professionals abandoned cities after realizing they could work from anywhere. And various protests have disrupted what little peace was left.

“Unrest is more predominate as people are questioning the authorities of government, religion and the Thai Kingdom ,” says TEAM missionary Kennedy Paizs.

Yet, despite cities’ failings, missionaries like Kennedy see them as a key part to fulfilling the Great Commission.

A year before COVID-19, over half the world’s population already lived in cities — many drawn by economic opportunities they could never find in the countryside.

“Working in the city … allows us to work with people from all over the world in one place,” says Heath* , a TEAM missionary in Southeast Asia. “Our [learning] center works with students from over ten countries.”

And as immigrants and refugees build new lives in new cities, many are eager to discuss religion, God and the meaning of life. It’s just one of the tremendous opportunities for ministry in the world’s cities.

Will you pray for urban ministries around the world? Pray with us that God will guide missionaries as they plan outreaches and build relationships for His glory.

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1. Pray that people will choose church over work and other activities.

Cities are full of opportunities — and distractions.

“Because of financial pressures, people are just too busy to have time for spiritual things,” says Steve Dresselhaus, a TEAM missionary to Mexico. “The urban jungle also makes it much more difficult to engage in quiet, long, stress-free, uninterrupted conversations.”

( Learn how Steve helps city-dwellers engage with the Gospel through kayaking.)

A man holds various children's' balloons for sale.

Cities are full of distractions. Pray that seekers and new believers will prioritize Christ above all activities.

In Germany , TEAM missionary Jeff Ingram shares, young people struggle to make commitments, afraid that something more exciting will come up.

Pray that unsaved people and new believers will deliberately choose church over other activities. Pray for urban ministries to be seen as attractive to locals. And ask God to put a spiritual hunger in their hearts that can only be satisfied by Him.

2. Pray for urban ministries to create good, spiritual conversations amid unrest.

Many of the world’s cities have seen protests or increased violence in recent years. The addition of COVID-19 and accompanying restrictions have added to a general feeling of unrest and fear.

“[Our] city has grappled with implementing safety and social distancing protocols in a city with over 20 million people,” Heath says. Yet, he adds, “This change has also brought immediate neighbors closer together as our social circles have grown smaller.”

Pray that this closeness will last beyond the pandemic, allowing for deep, spiritual conversations for years to come.

Jeff says, “Pray that atheists and non-religious people would begin asking the key questions of life, such as, ‘Where did I come from? Where am I going? What’s my purpose in life?’ Pray that these seekers would have divine encounters with followers of Jesus who can help them move toward Him.”

( See how these critical questions can lead German atheists to Christ !)

3. Ask God to give missionaries rest inside and outside their cities.

The busyness of city life can be both thrilling and exhausting. Traffic is constant. Neighbors complain about the noise from cooped up missionary kids. In parts of eastern Europe, missionaries smell cigarette smoke every time they open their windows. Greenery is in short supply.

“I grew up in the wilds of western Pennsylvania, so I miss losing myself in the fields and forests,” says Selena* a TEAM missionary in western Asia.

Urban ministry can be exhausting. A family in this photo takes a stroll together.

Missionaries can’t always escape the city, but pray that they’ll find quiet moments of rest, wherever they are.

Sometimes, missionaries simply need a break from all the city’s hubbub. They need time to recharge and reconnect with God. But getting that break isn’t always easy in the short-term.

Pray that missionaries will find rest, even in the midst of their host cities’ noise. Ask God to also graciously provide opportunities to leave the cities and spend time in His creation.

Click here to download a printable copy of this month’s Prayer Focus, with additional prayer requests from the field!

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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